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What to watch for on Election Day in Colorado

By Jeremy P. MeyerThe Denver Post

Posted:
11/06/2012 12:01:00 AM MST

Updated:
11/06/2012 04:33:50 PM MST

Election judge Josie Flanagan takes ballots from a voter at the drive-through ballot drop-off outside the Denver Elections Division downtown Monday. Voters can drop off their ballots Tuesday at a Voter Service Center or vote in person at their assigned polling place. (Craig F. Walker, The Denver Post)

Beyond the obvious Election Day battle for the White House, other key questions for Colorado will be answered as the votes come in Tuesday, such as what will Colorado's legislature look like, will Colorado legalize marijuana and did voters approve tax hikes in a down economy?

1. Did Colorado's swing counties go red or blue?

In the swinging state of Colorado a handful of counties swing more than anyone else: Jefferson, Arapahoe and Larimer.

Of the three, Arapahoe and Jefferson hold a quarter of the state's active voters, and they are registered one-third Democratic, one-third Republican and one-third unaffiliated.

But Jefferson County can truly boast "so goes Jefferson County, so goes Colorado."

Jeffco's voters have sided with the state in every presidential election over the past century — except for 1992, when Jeffco voters supported incumbent George Bush and the rest of the state supported Bill Clinton. Colorado followed Jeffco's lead in 1996 supporting Bob Dole over the eventual winner Clinton.

2. Will Colorado become Amsterdam, and what would the feds do if Amendment 64 passes?

Voters in Colorado, Washington and Oregon are voting whether to legalize recreational use of marijuana — a matter expected to be fought vigorously at the federal level if approved.

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In Colorado, the law would allow for recreational marijuana stores, but those stores likely wouldn't open until January 2014, giving the federal government time to intercede.

Then there is a matter of local control if Amendment 64 passes. What counties would permit stores to sell? Looking at the counties that support the measure, if passed, could be an indication of where the pot shops could be located.

3. Will Gov. John Hickenlooper have a split chamber or an all-Democratic legislature for the next two years?

All 65 state House seats and 20 of the 35 Senate seats are up for election this year, but the control of the chambers is coming down to a few competitive seats. Most of those contests are in Jefferson County.

Democrats hold a 20-15 majority in the Senate, while Republicans have a 33-32 edge in the House. One would imagine the Democratic governor would prefer an all-Democratic House and Senate. But sometimes life isn't about getting everything you want.

Hickenlooper now enjoys the natural checks and balances of a split legislature, and gets to be the final say on legislation that has been stripped of much controversy in order to pass through both chambers.

If the Democrats gain control of both houses suddenly Hickenlooper's life could be more difficult. His party would get all of the credit but also all of the blame for everything. He would be having to approve partisan legislation that could open a normally risk-adverse politician to criticism.

4. Will Colorado voters support tax hikes in a down economy?

Fourteen Colorado communities are asking voters tax questions, including a five-year excise tax extension for a climate action plan in Boulder; sales taxes for open space in Boulder, Lafayette and Louisville; a property tax hike for a fire station in Fountain.

De-Brucing measures are on the ballot in Denver, Castle Pines and Centennial. Aurora seeks $74 million in bonds for transportation related projects, Erie wants $6.2 million in bonds for a public safety facility and Larkspur wants $2.8 million in bonds for water well improvements.

5. Will Colorado return all of its incumbents to Washington?

The seven Congressional seats from Colorado are up for grabs but most analysts expect only two races to be competitive — the race between incumbent Rep. Scott Tipton versus Democratic challenger Sal Pace for the 3rd Congressional seat and incumbent Rep. Mike Coffman versus Democratic challenger Joe Miklosi for the 6th District.

While plenty of money has been spent for the 7th District, the race between Republican challenger Joe Coors and incumbent Ed Perlmutter is not expected to result in any change.

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